Texts

Senpa nipejki niajsi ka ne tiupan San Antonio ne nitamachtia Nawataketza, tik ne kojtantechan San Ramón. Ne palej kimakaket chupi tumin pal kinmaka ne tajtakamet pal kikuat abono ipal ne mil, wan né kishtij chupi pal nechtashtawa pal nitamachtia Nawat tik ne kojtantechan.

Then I started going to San Antonio church, in San Ramón, where I taught Nawat language. The priest received money to distribute to the men to buy fertilizer for their fields, and from that he set aside a small amount to pay me for teaching Nawat there.

—Kia, nikan tikpiat se tuikaw ka yaja weli taketza Nawat. Su te ankinekit techishtiliat, kunij kia welit antaketzat iwan, wan su amejemet kinekit mumachtiat, welit anwitzet pal annemit tuwan.

“Yes, we have a brother here who can speak Nawat. If you don’t take him away from here, then you can talk to him, and if you want to learn you may come and study with us.”

Nechilwij ne tunal keman yawi muchiwa ne congreso pal naja niajsi. Wan kiunij kichiwket pal nechishmatit ne ishmatijket. Kitaket ka naja niweli nitaketza Nawat wan nusan nitawawasua. Anka yajika ka ne nawi congreso nechilwijket ka yawit nechmakat nutekiw.

She told me the date of the conference so that I would come. And that is how the specialists met me. They saw that I could speak Nawat and write it too. Maybe that is why they told me I would have work in four conferences.

—Tay tina? Tiweli tiaw ne domingo ka ne tiupan San Antonio?

“What do you say? Can you come to San Antonio Church on Sunday?”

Yejemet tesu kimatit, ken an tejemet tikmatit, ka nemi se Tiut ka te tikishmatit. Yejemet kishmatit katka tay kitat, ken ne tunal, ne at, ne tal, ne tawial, ne kwajkwawit, ne kojtan: ipal itakwal, ipal ne tapewil, wan ne kwajkwawit pal kisaluat itakil pal tikwat pal te tikseliat mayan.

They didn’t realise, as we now know, that there is a God whom we didn’t know. They recognised the things they could see, such as the sun, the rain, the land, maize, trees, and nature, which provided their food, game, and fruit-bearing trees for food so as not to endure hunger.

An tikitakan ne tzilintuk. Yaja panu muchi ne tunalku takwika. Yajika kwak witz ne shupan miki ipal sesek wan mayan.

Now let’s look at the cicada. It spends the whole summer singing. So when winter arrives, it dies of cold and hunger.